If I Rise
by Phantasm.Angel
Summary: Alix is an Absol who recently escaped her abusive trainer. Her flight into the wilderness of Hoenn is tainted by her conviction that her old master won't let her get away from him that easily. The harm he inflicted on her emotionally and psychologically linger, and her precious freedom is fragile.
1. Chapter 1

In the shadows of the village, a lone figure walked slowly along the trashcans and rodents. Her white fur was tainted by dried blood and dirt, giving the Absol a rather desperate appearance. She limped from alley to alley, staying out of sight from anyone who might try to hurt her. Her fur attempted to bristle, but to no avail; the fight had gone out of her. If the Pokémon ran into danger, it would not end well. That's why the darkness behind each building was such a welcome relief. Out in the streets, a stray Pokémon would have to endure glances and mutterings, if not outright violence, but here, there was no one to scoff at a runaway. The only thing that was annoying her about her choice of road was the ever present shards of broken bottles that lay sparkling in the otherwise unremarkable ground. The Absol had been good at avoiding them for the most part, but if there were too many of them, or if she was lost in thought, one would prick her paw and cause her to wince in pain. Occasionally, she would find a dirty human leaning against a building, silent except for the rustling of the newspapers that kept him warm. The two outcasts would exchange glances before Alix the Absol continued on her way.

For now, her only destination was away. Away from the contempt people showered upon her, away from the pain in her side, and away from him. As she stepped over another scattering of green glass, the Absol shook her head to clear it of all thoughts of her former master. But no matter how hard she tried, he remained in the back of her skull, whispering his words of malice if she would only stop and listen. That's what she had done the first few days after she escaped, holing up in a small cave and crying over the pain he had caused her. _I'll do a lot worse when I find you,_ the voice said, making its way into the foreground once more. _You know I'm going to be mad when I catch my little fugitive, maybe a bit of pain will stop you from running away. Like a broken leg._

Alix stopped in her tracks and felt tears well up in her eyes, but managed to hold them back. "You will never hurt me again," she said to herself and pressed on. As the Absol reached the village limits, she saw a field of lush grass and scattered trees and bushes. For someone emerging from the veil of suffering, this new landscape looked like paradise. The Absol contained her excitement and made her way around the final building, after all, it would be a shame to draw attention to herself after sneaking through the rest of the village like a thief in the night. But finally, the threat of humans had passed, and the dark-type was comforted by the serenity that only a field can possess.

With each step, Alix felt more rejuvenated. Her body slowly shifted from her crouched, limping gait to one with more dignity and grace. Or, at least as much dignity and grace one can have when her fur is matted by blood and filth. The Absol saw that there was a way to rid herself of that; a river was just over the next hill. Cautiously, she made her way to top of the slope and looked out at the meandering body of water. With the sun glittering off of its crystal blue water, the river seemed to be in full bloom, just like many of the plants around it would be in the following weeks. It appeared to be shallow, since there was a small number of Pokémon already bathing in it. Alix also saw what she assumed was a family of Oddish and Gloom playing in it and soaking up the fresh water for nutrients. Towards the middle of the river, the Absol saw a few Magikarp fins as well as what could have been a Feebas fin. The Absol debated between going down there now and waiting for the few Pokémon there to leave. She decided to clean herself off as soon as possible, before the grime could get more of a foothold in her fur.

The Grass Pokémon paid little attention to her, which Alix was grateful for as she submerged herself in the cool water, keeping only her head above the river's surface. As the Absol's fur became soaked, most of the muck that had ruined its color was washed out. What remained was removed through the tried and true feline method. The Disaster Pokémon remained in the river for just a while longer, letting the cool water soothe cuts and bruises that her fur hid, but after the water became more chilly than refreshing to her, Alix walked out. Noticing that the other Pokémon had left, she shook herself dry and made her way to the top of the hill. Then, the Absol lay down in the grass, hoping to use the afternoon sun to finish drying herself off. Laying her head in the nook created by her folded paws, Alix the Absol drifted off to sleep.

However, dreams held no escape from the harshness of reality. Alix found herself falling into a never-ending void. She could barely see her own front paws and felt nothing solid; there was only a feeling of weightlessness and impending doom. The Pokémon closed her eyes and braced herself for the end of her fall, but instead of the solid ground she expected, Alix landed on a surface that gave under her weight as she walked around it. It felt smooth on her paws, but Alix had little time to contemplate this new development when the blackness was lit by a harsh light. Squinting, Alix saw a grotesque image of her former trainer's face, whose face seemed to have been melted like wax from a candle. The head was many times the size of a full-grown human with a glow emanating from its eyes and mouth, like a Jack-o-Lantern. Alix reckoned that it wouldn't take more than a single gulp to dispose of her forever.

Alix was not going to let that happen though; she moved herself into attack position, readying the horn that was the focus of many of her techniques. But as she put her paws forward and arched her body forward in order to pounce, Alix felt the ground beneath her shift under her weight. With the light that the deformed visage of her trainer seemed to give off, Alix saw that what she was standing on was nothing more than an oversized hand, no doubt belonging to the monster in front of her.

Realizing that it could simply close its hand and crush her like a bug, Alix gave up on trying to look ready for a fight, instead reverting to how she was truly feeling, terrified beyond all belief. The hand raised her to look at her trainer's eyes which, although they were full of soft orange light, no longer glimmered with a spark of anything resembling life. Instead, the eyes were cold and empty, like a mannequin's, and seemed to mock Alix. The wax face grinned at her and opened its mouth, dripping what she hoped wasn't flesh, and unleashing a voice that sounded like that of the human it resembled, but with a deeper resonance that the Absol felt underneath it.

"Well, well, well," it said, with each word echoing down the Pokémon's spine, "what do we have here?"

Despite the emptiness in his deformed expression, a hint of humor lurked behind its eyes. "That's just like you Alix, acting tough as nails when you're shaking like a leaf." Part of its right cheek dripped off of the face and hit whatever lay beneath them with a sickening plop.

Alix did her best to muster up some reserve of strength she felt must be there, but came up empty-handed. "What do you want from me?"

"Nothing at all," it said, and brought the Absol closer so that she could reach out and touch its empty eyes. Alix actually considered it, just digging her claws into those waxy orbs and going out in a blaze of glory, but fear kept her from moving a muscle. "I'm just curious," it continued. "Why are you wasting your time napping when I'm still looking for you?"

That brought Alix out of her stupor. If it was true, if her trainer was still looking for her, he wouldn't stop at the village. No, he would ask around and act like any concerned trainer would when a beloved Pokémon went missing, and the people would buy it like they always did. If even one of them had seen her, Alix's former master would have a good idea of where she was now. All of these thoughts swirled through her head in a flurry, as the melting figure dropped her and began laughing hollowly. Once more, she was falling, but this time Alix could see the horrific face grow smaller as she dropped like a stone. Who knew, maybe she would go plop, just like the wax from its cheek had. But before the Absol could find out, she found herself not in a pit, but on the hill by the river.

Alix was in a cold sweat and felt something soft brushing against her side, near one of her numerous bruises. Fueled by the adrenaline the dream had awakened in her, the Absol leaped to her feet and turned to face her attacker. With a snarl worthy of her undomesticated ancestors, Alix found herself looking at a little Roselia who looked like it might have wet itself in sheer terror. In an instant, the fierceness in her body faded, only to be replaced with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," Alix said. "Are you okay, miss?"

"I'm fine," the smaller Pokémon said, getting back on its feet and brushing itself off with its flowers, "but if the shorter skirt didn't tip you off, I'm more of a mister than a miss, if you catch my drift."

"I'm sorry," Alix said. "I just thought that most Roselia were female."

The green Pokémon looked at her with a look of mock contempt, "And I thought all Absol were dark and moody." In response to Alix's confused expression at this, the Roselia's serious demeanor broke and he extended his blue petal to her, "The name's Mend. And you are?"

The Absol gave the figure an odd look, "I'm Alix, and I have to start moving." She began to walk past the Roselia, planning to follow the river to wherever it went. Soon enough, the small Grass Pokémon was following her, struggling to keep up with the Absol's faster stride. "What are you doing?" Alix asked.

"Keeping you company of course," Mend replied, before winking at her, "Or would you prefer I leave the stereotypical brooding Absol alone?" Alix sighed and slowed her pace, which the Roselia took as an invitation. He caught up with her and the unlikely duo set off down the river bank together.


	2. Chapter 2

As they continued down the river banks, Mend and Alix were silent. At some pauses in their walking, the Roselia seemed about to try and strike up a conversation, but decided against it. It was inevitable that the topic would turn to her cuts and bruises, which may have been hidden well by the white coat that the Absol possessed, but were betrayed by the pain in her face when she stretched or when pushing through thick patches of grass. Mend would look at her cautiously whenever Alix grimaced, but respected her privacy. Many of the Pokémon that had been out earlier were gone; the few that remained collected the Sitrus berries that were abundant in this route. These few Gloom and Linoone paid little attention to the two Pokémon who walked along the river. Strangers were common in these parts with two fairly important towns using the dirt road that lay past the flowered hills as the easiest way to travel between them.

It is said that Pokémon have a sort of sixth sense when it comes to nature, especially weather. It was the long-time residents of the area that knew for certain, having grown up with the same patterns of sun, rain, and snow all their lives, but Alix could feel it as well, just a small nudge from the back of her mind. A storm was coming. She couldn't exactly predict when, it might be in a few minutes, or in an hour, but it was important that she found shelter. A gentle drizzle might be nice, but the prospect of trying to sleep when wet and cold was not appealing. The Absol looked at her diminutive companion, "Do you feel it?"

The Roselia snorted, and it took Alix a second to realize that it was out of humor, "Of course! Just because you Absol can sense earthquakes, you forget the rest of us can predict a little shower." Mend held out his petal-like hands and grinned, "I could use a good watering."

Alix tried to smile at this, but only succeeded in looking nauseous, this storm didn't feel like a gentle drizzle, but she held her tongue.

Her companion seemed to read her expression perfectly, "You think we'll need a place to spend the night?" She nodded in response, and Mend looked across the grass in contemplation. "I was hoping we'd be able to get out of here while the sun was out," he began, "but if not, my trainer has a small place hidden in one of these bushes."

Alix's pace screeched to a halt, "What do you mean your trainer?"

Giving her a puzzled look, the Roselia said, "My trainer, the one who caught me, raises me, and battles with me?" Noticing the terror hidden behind her ruby eyes, Mend's voice softened, "Don't you have one?"

"I had one," Alix said, concentrating on the dirt at her feet.

"What happened?"

"You know that stupid idea that there are only two kinds of trainers, those who are friends with their Pokémon and those who use them as tools?"

The Grass Pokémon shrugged, "Maybe once or twice, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well," Alix said, setting her mouth in a frown, "let's just say he was more of the latter than the former."

"Is that where you got those cuts and bruises?" the Roselia said, dropping his voice to a low whisper.

"Most of it was from training, but a few were from when I-" the Absol began, but was interrupted by her trainer's voice echoing in her head, mockingly, _Ran away, ran away, ran away_.

"Escaped?"

Alix shook her head to try and silence the sounds in her skull, "Yes, I escaped from him."

"So, why are you freaked out by me having a trainer?" Mend asked, clearly confused. "We can help you, Alix!"

"No," the Absol said. "You can't stop him."

The Roselia's voice rose in volume in pitch, attracting the attention of a pair of Linoone who had lingered behind to gather a few more berries before the storm came. "I'll tell my trainer what happened and we can protect you from him."

Alix snorted in contempt, "Don't kid yourself, you aren't a match for him. No one is."

"We have a couple of badges y'know!" Mend said.

Alix ignored his cries of protest and began to walk away. Her derision might have seemed rude to Mend, but it was the truth. Her trainer might have been a bastard, but he had attended national tournaments. He probably had more badges than he knew what to do with. No, there was no way a trainer on their first journey would have a chance.

"At least let me offer you shelter until the rain passes," the Roselia shouted after her. It looked like he wasn't about to let her get away that easily. Alix briefly contemplated the reward of staying dry against the risk of discovery and decided to stay. She resumed her walking position to him. "You sure you want to stay?" Mend asked, "I'm sure walking alone in the rain feeling sorry for yourself has never been done before."

Smiling in spite of herself, the Absol swung her paw at her companion's head, but the Roselia ducked. "What, were you raised in a barn?" he said, and then scurried away from her. Alix lost herself in pouncing after the grass-type, following him through the pasture. Every time that she was close to catching him, he would elude her grasp. The chase wiped away her dread. The abuse, the fear, was lost in the simple goal of catching Mend and making him cry uncle.

The game came to an abrupt stop when the Roselia fell into a bush and failed to emerge. Alix circled the foliage for a few seconds, still on the adrenaline rush of their game. But as she came down, she became worried and decided to see if her companion was okay. A quick sniff of the bush revealed it to be decidedly unnatural, more manmade than not. Leaning in to stick her face in the spot where Mend had disappeared, the Absol was met with a sharp pain as a door opened up, smacking her in the face.

"We're here!" Mend cried, as he emerged from the bush. Alix was dazed, but as her world stopped spinning, she noticed that the bush itself was a clever forgery, hollow on the inside with a simple rope ladder leading underground. The smaller Pokémon realized that the noise he had heard flinging open the door was related to his companion's current state of disarray. "Oh crap," he said, "Sorry about that!" His excitement couldn't be diluted though, even by the Absol's injury, "But come inside!" After giving the pain another minute to subside, Alix followed him inside of the bush.

Even after the door was closed, the room was fairly well-lit by a source emerging from the hole in the ground. Mend walked to the edge of the opening and gestured for Alix to follow him before jumping. Horrified, and wondering how her companion had seemed so normal, the Absol rushed to the hole and peered down to see him lying on a stack of mattresses, laughing. It was a lot better than the blood and broken bones that she was expecting. But Alix was reluctant to take a leap of faith and decided to give the ladder a try. Careful not to let her claws send her tumbling down, the Disaster Pokémon wrapped her four legs around the rope and let herself slide down gradually. By the time she reached the mattresses, Mend was already tiding the place up, straightening furniture and rearranging mats on the ground.

It was certainly a sight, there was a table and a few chairs that appeared to be covered in leaves, but that was a small detail compared to the overwhelming amount of Treecko that covered the room. Posters, dolls, even the floor had the visage of the gecko-like Pokémon gazing towards the ceiling. Noticing Alix's presence, Mend stopped adjusting décor and turned to her. "Welcome," he said with a flourish, "to my trainer's secret base!"

"Secret base?" Alix asked incredulously, "How old is he, ten?"

The Roselia gave her an exasperated look, "Yes." But his good humor quickly returned, "But what do you think of the place?"

Trying to avoid the many yellow Treecko eyes, Alix struggled to come up with a compliment. "It's definitely green," she weakly said.

Mend paid no heed to the pathetic attempt, instead grabbing one of the leaf-covered chairs and spinning around in it. "My trainer will be coming in a while."

Before he could elaborate, the runaway Pokémon cut him off, "I'll be gone by then." She had made her way to the one covering of the secret base that wasn't graced with the features of Treecko. Laying down, she continued, "It's nothing personal, I just don't want to linger in one place for too long."

"Yeah, I understand," the Roselia said, looking up at the ceiling, "I wish you'd let us help you, but I understand." He rotated his chair and turned his full attention to Alix, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but could you give me a bit more background information? How did you end up with such a rotten specimen of a human, and why did you decide to escape?"

Alix smiled ruefully at his questions. Since meeting Mend, her master's voice had not bothered her. He had kept her distracted from the past and focused on the future, and for that she was extremely grateful. But telling him all that she had endured might be putting a lot on the little guy's plate. Still, and this surprised Alix, the desire to talk about her past was overwhelming. She decided to start by clearing up Mend's first misconception, "I don't think he was rotten as much as he was human."

"So, you're apologizing for him?" Mend asked, anger rising in his voice.

The Absol defused his fury quickly, "My master wasn't bad at first, relatively speaking. Before he found me, I was hungry and scared, unsure of what the next day would bring." She folded her paws and laid her head on the makeshift pillow they formed," those first few months were the happiest of my life."

"Then what went wrong?" the Roselia said, grasping the side of his chair and leaning in close.

With a deep breath, Alix readied herself to tell her story.


	3. Chapter 3

"I grew up a few miles away from here, part of a litter of six. My parents hunted a provided for me, but it wasn't to last," Alix closed her eyes, as images came back. "One day, neither of them came back to the cave that was our home. We stayed; it was the only life we knew. But after about a week, we were hungry, and it looked like things weren't going to get better. My siblings and I headed off into the wilderness.

"At first we stayed together, but we were young. We had arguments about what we should do next, and instead of resolving them, each dispute caused us to split up. I wasn't the runt, but I was small, and being in a group was essential to my survival." Alix voice gained an edge of bitterness, "My siblings abandoned me, just like the rest of my family. So instead of enjoying my youth, I had to grow up fast. While my brothers and sisters had some experience hunting, I was supposed to get bigger before my parents would take me with them. So while the others were catching Zigzagoon, I had to look a little lower on the food chain."

Mend tilted his head and furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"

The Absol sighed, "I survived for months on Wurmple, and the Pecha Berries I needed to recuperate." Noticing the Roselia's discomfort, Alix caught his shifting gaze, "I'm not ashamed of what I had to do in order to survive. But hunting for bugs gave me some semblance of training for hunting larger prey. I found a burrow of Zigzagoon, with only one Linoone to care for them. They were living close to where my family's den had been, and I suppose I was upset because they wouldn't have dared to be so close if my parents were still around. I planned for two weeks, studying their habits and swallowing what I was sure would be my last Wurmple.

"Then, one day, I decided to act. After the Linoone had concealed her children with some leaves and left to hunt, I made my move. I didn't think about finesse or stealth, I was so hungry. I wanted to feel like a predator. So I sized them up, four plump young Pokémon that were mine for the picking. But I was too hasty, I didn't wait long enough or maybe I underestimated her senses, but the mother Linoone came back and fought me to save her children."

Alix looked away from Mend, studying her paws, "I'm not going to regale you with all of the gruesome details, but needless to say, it was my first fight, and I was beaten and bloodied before I knew what had happened. Maybe the Linoone saw how young and inexperienced I was, or maybe she just didn't want her pups to see another creature die in front of them, but she let me slink off into the wilderness. It was weird; I had spent so much energy pumping myself up for the hunt, and when it failed I felt even more helpless than I had when surviving off of bugs. That was when I met him."

"Your trainer," the Roselia said in awe.

The Disaster Pokémon nodded, "Yes. He saw that I was hurt, and it didn't hurt that Absol aren't exactly common Pokémon. He knelt down to me, holding out a Poké Ball. I tried to growl at him, but it sounded more like a whimper. He just smiled and showed me the ball, even let me open it with one of my claws. He offered to take me with him to the nearest Pokémon Center, either as one of his Pokémon or not. I didn't know what would happen, I was scared and hungry. He was the first person to show any concern about whether I lived or died, and he showed me a way out, a different life I could live. He was my first friend."

Alix wiped her eyes with a paw and looked up at her companion, "Sorry, do you want me to keep going?"

"Please."

"Okay, so, he took me to the Pokémon Center, and he told me about this dream that he had, about being a Pokémon Master. I guess it's the standard wish, but it was the first time I had ever heard of it, and it seemed so wonderful. He explained about gyms, and leagues, and I was hooked. Then he told me that I was welcome to join his team. I eagerly took him up on that offer, and that's when my training began. With the moves he taught me and the nourishment I received, I became capable of things I had never dreamed of. I met his other Pokémon, and they welcomed me with open arms. Oh, and the battles. In those first few weeks, it seemed like we could do no wrong. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit that I made plenty of rookie mistakes, but he would always laugh them off and treat the consequences for my foolishness. We were all so happy then.

"Then we collected the eighth badge, and we were eligible to battle the best in the region. I think that's when the pressure started to get to him. We trained harder for that tournament than we had ever before. I was the newest member, so I was eager to pull my weight, but we all went the extra mile. The first battle was to be six on six, and we strode into that arena confident in our strength. We got ripped apart, one after another by a team far more experienced than ours. My trainer couldn't do anything to stop us from going limp, one by one. I was the last one he sent out; he put his trust in me to turn things around. He would've forfeited if he didn't think he could win, I'm sure of that. But I failed him. We all did. But the guilt wasn't enough. He didn't talk to us at all while we recovered, and as soon as we could walk, he informed us that we were going to a different region to try again. That was the last loss where he didn't blame us.

"Instead," Alix said, "he thought his training had been too easy on us, so he intensified it. We had to get tough or get lost, and that's what happened. Friendships evaporated and were replaced by cool professionalism. We swept through the region like a hurricane, picking up a few new members to replace those who couldn't take the pressure. We almost got through the preliminaries this time too, but in the semifinals, I mistimed a crucial assault and left myself open for a devastating counterattack. Once again, I had been the last one out, the one he had trusted, and once again, I had let him down. My guilt wasn't enough though, after the match, before I had even seen the inside of a Pokémon Center, he called me out of my Poké Ball and had one of my teammates, a Machoke, beat me until I couldn't even stand up on my own.

"When I recovered, my trainer apologized for what he had done and promised it would never happen again." The Absol smiled ruefully, "He lied. We went to two more regions and competed there, and soon it wasn't just our losses that were punished, it was any mistake, even if it was just the misfortune of not having beaten the enemy as decisively as he had wanted. Finally, we returned to Hoenn, to compete again. And things were going alright; he almost seemed to be back to his old self. But when we set up camp near the area I was born, I decided to sneak off and revisit my first home. I don't know what I was expecting to find, but all I saw was a past I didn't want to return to. When I got back though, my trainer was infuriated by my disobedience, for the first time, he beat me himself. I didn't fight back, I had never fought back, but I knew that I was finished. I didn't want to go back to the way I was before meeting him, but this wasn't the path I wanted to go down for the rest of my life. For the rest of the day, I feigned greater injuries than I actually had, so the whole team let their guard down. No one was assigned to watch me that night, and I was able to get a good head start before they would wake."

Mend looked at her expectantly, and the two sat in silence for a few seconds. "And then what?" the Grass Pokémon asked.

Alix smiled, "And then I met this Roselia who asked too many questions." She rose to her feet out of her sitting position and wandered around the secret base. "Do you think it's stopped raining?" she asked.

"I'm sure it has," Mend said, standing up himself. "And that means that my trainer will be here any minute."

"Then that's my cue to leave," the Absol said, heading towards the rope ladder she had used to reach the interior of the secret base.

"I know you want to go off and do your own thing, but I really wish that you'd let us help you. If you would just give my trainer a chance then you'd see that we can really help you."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Mend. I don't want to get you in any danger. Trust me, it's better this way." Alix stepped onto the pile of mattresses and wrapped her paws around the rope leading up to the entrance. A few jumps and some comical attempts to scale the obstacle proved fruitless. "What was so wrong with a staircase?" she asked herself after stepping off of the mattresses, having abandoned all hopes of coming out the way she came in. "There'd better be another way out, Mend, or else you're going to be the first thing on the menu!"

"Yeah, right, like you'd actually do that."

"I've eaten Wurmple, there's no telling what I'll do when I get hungry," Alix said, getting low and pretending to stalk the Roselia.

"Haha, very funny," Mend said, getting a green kitchen island in-between him and the Absol, "Calm down and I'll let you hit the road."

Alix let her gait return to normal and the Grass Pokémon made his way to a mosaic of Treecko posters at the back of the room. Grabbing the corner of the wall of paper, Mend pulled the whole thing off to reveal a human-sized wooden door. Before Alix could make her retreat, a rapping came at the other entrance.

"That's probably my trainer," Mend said, rushing to the rope ladder. "Stick around for a bit, I want him to meet you." As the Roselia made his way up the ladder with the dexterity that an Absol lacked, Alix felt her fur prickle. Something was wrong, she wasn't safe here. And maybe, Mend wasn't either.


	4. Chapter 4

Mend swung open the door at the top of the base, but instead seeing his trainer, the Roselia found himself face to face with the silver form of a Skarmory. She towered over the Thorn Pokémon, and they watched each other in silence, both with an honest curiosity. Finally, Mend spoke, "How can I help you?"

"I'm helping my master look for his runaway Pokémon," the Steel Pokémon said, speaking in a gentle tone far from the harsh caw that the Roselia was expecting, "She's an Absol, recently caught, and very dangerous." Mend began to shift uncomfortably and the other Pokémon noticed, cocking her head to one side, "You wouldn't happen to have come across her, hm? She answers to Alix."

The Absol in question had grown curious in spite of herself and was slinking closer to hear the conversation when Mend swung one of his hands behind his back and began motioning her away, all without breaking eye contact with the Skarmory. "I'm afraid not, so sorry," Mend hurriedly got out.

He attempted to close the door, but a wing like a row of knives shot out and intercepted it. The Skarmory smiled politely, or as well as she could with a beak, and spoke to ease Mend's fear of being killed right then and there, "Very well then, I just wanted to apologize for disturbing you, and to ask you to inform me if you do see my missing friend."

Unable to take his eyes off of the wall of razor sharp feathers inches from his face, Mend could only nod weakly, "Yeah, sure. I'll get right on that." The wing slowly found its way back against the Skarmory's body and the Grass Pokémon shut the door with an audible sigh. "Trouble, Alix!" he shouted as he jumped down to the main floor of the secret base.

"You have no idea," she responded, "That was Stuka, she's been one of my trainer's main fighting Pokémon since before he caught me. She's incredibly smart and even if your nerves didn't completely give away the fact that you were hiding me, she saw me for sure."

Finishing dusting himself off from his leap, Mend muttered, "I thought I was pretty cool under pressure," then, speaking up, "So what makes this Skarmory such a big deal?"

Alix was now pacing in the obnoxiously decorated room, "You don't get it, Stuka's not just any of my trainer's Pokémon, she's one of the best. Even if I wasn't injured, there's no way I would be able to take her down in a fight."

"So don't fight," Mend said, "Run." He gave the Absol a grin, "You can still do that, right?"

"Are you serious?" Alix asked.

"Oh God! That was supposed to be a joke, can you actually not run?"

"No," she said, rolling her eyes, "I was talking about the idea of running altogether. What happened to me staying here and getting help from your trainer? You were so insistent on that before."

The Roselia looked down at his shifting feet, "Well, the way I see it, you can't stay here. The longer you stay in one place, the more likely it is that Stuka won't be the only one of your trainer's Pokémon you'll have to worry about. Besides, if you don't stand a chance against these guys, what help can we give you?"

"You have already helped me, Mend. You have no idea how much," Alix said and turned towards the door.

As she reached for the handle and began to pull the door back, Mend struggled to say something only to be cut off as the heavy door flew open, knocking the Absol backwards and causing leaves and other debris to fly in from outside. As the dust settled and Alix struggled to get to her feet, the cause of the blow became apparent. A Mightyena stood hunched in the doorway, his grinning maw revealing a row of sharp fangs. "Honey, I'm home," he said gleefully.

Mend rushed to the Disaster Pokémon's side, "Alix, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said, and then directed her attention to the other Dark Pokémon, "But who the hell are you?"

"Oh I suppose you wouldn't know me," the Mightyena said as he began to circle the pair, "You see, while you've been out having fun being part of the team, I've spent the year since I was caught wasting away inside of a computer. But when you split, I finally got my chance to prove myself. My name is Waffen and I'm your replacement."

"Go ahead," Alix said, "Take my place, just let me go." She tried to head for the door, but Waffen leaped in front of her and snarled.

"It's a little more complicated than that. You see, my first test is to find you and bring you back, either in one piece or in several." Alix tightened her muscles and prepared to pounce, but Waffen resumed his route around the other two Pokémon, "I'm more in favor of the latter option, the longer you're out of commission, the more time I'll have to prove myself to our master."

As the Mightyena continued his leisurely stalking, Mend kept his eyes trained on the hyena-like Pokémon. As he neared, the Roselia steeled himself for action. "You might actually stand a chance against Alix," he said, almost casually, "especially if you don't breathe in too much of this stuff."

Waffen stopped in his tracks, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Mend responded by holding up both of his flower-covered hands and unleashing a cloud of yellow spores from both of them, surrounding the Mightyena and sending him into the throes of a coughing fit. "Alix, run!" the Roselia said.

Without hesitation, the Absol heeded the advice and sped out of the secret base. As she raced through the grass and towards the woods, Alix wondered if Mend was safe. There was a chance that he could outrun Waffen, but Stuka was still in the area, no doubt waiting for a sign. The Disaster Pokémon put the brakes on both her feet and her train of thought as a silver form plummeted from the sky mere feet in front of her. Already panting from the brief sprint and feeling the throbbing pain in her injuries, Alix prepared for the worst. And her pessimism was rewarded as Stuka the Skarmory spread her wings and let out a screech that rang out through the afternoon sky.

Then the metallic Pokémon leered at Alix. "It was so nice of you to come out of your hiding place for us. We didn't buy that pathetic Roselia's story for a second, not after Waffen tracked down your scent. What do you think of him by the way? He's coarse and brutal, but that's our master's preference nowadays."

"He said that he wanted to replace me," Alix said, her eyes darting about, searching for a way around the Skarmory.

With the sound of grating metal, Stuka chuckled, "Yes, he has quite the ego. I don't think he'd hold a candle to you, but given your current condition, who knows what could happen?"

"You misunderstand; I don't want to fight him. He can have my spot on the team. I'm not coming back."

"No, I'm afraid you misunderstand, Alix," Stuka said, his voice gaining an edge, "We were sent to track you down and bring you back one way or another. We're not allowed to fail."

The Absol's fur bristled, "Tough luck, because I'm not going back to him."

"Your resistance was expected, that's why I was sent. While you might be able to beat Waffen, I'm faster than you, stronger than you, and highly resistant to any attack you might throw at me."

Alix's ears perked up as she heard footsteps on the grass behind her. Turning around the Absol found herself face-to-face with Waffen, gripping Mend in his jaws. Spitting out the smaller Pokémon, the Mightyena grinned toothily at the other Pokémon, "I really hope you'll at least give me a chance to do this on my own, Stuka."

"Why should I?" the Armor Bird Pokémon asked, cocking her head to one side and then the other. "You already let her get away once, maybe I can't trust you to get the job done."

"Don't be stupid; as long as you keep her little friend close, she won't try anything."

"Is that why she ran away and let him fight you on his own?"

"Just shut up and help me," Waffen said with a growl.

The Skarmory burst into action, speeding past Alix's startled form to lay one foot on Mend's weak form. Then, with a skyward screech, Stuka summoned up a reservoir of energy from deep inside. The effect was immediate, and the ground of the perimeter of a circle four yards from Alix on all sides shifted and emerged from the constraints of gravity, forming a loose wall of rubble.

"Stealth Rock," Alix muttered under her breath.

"Just in case you were getting any plans about ducking out on us," Waffen said as he stared down the other Dark Pokémon.

Stuka laughed, "And believe me, I'm just getting started." With another cry of exertion, the Skarmory spread her wings wide and fired dozens of red feathers into the sky. Each plummeted to the ground just inside of the circle of earth that the Pokémon's other attack had made.

"Here's the deal," Waffen said, "On the slim chance that you can beat me and the tin can over there, she'll deactivate the traps and you and your friend will be free to go. If you can't though, you're coming with us." Alix and the Mightyena began circling each other again, sizing one another up. "And if you try to escape again, in addition to getting some more nasty scars, the little Roselia's life is forfeit. Deal?"

"What choice do I have?"

"Exactly," the Mightyena sneered and then leaped at his opponent, claws extended and mouth open for the assault. The Absol reacted, but as she felt claws graze her already battered side, she knew it was too slowly. She wasn't used to battling under her own command, free from a trainer's influence. From the first attack, Waffen had made it clear that there would be none of the ceremony of a trainer battle. He was going to fight her like a wild Pokémon, and she was going to have to adapt quickly or lose everything.

So, with a growl of her own, she launched a counterattack, catching the Bite Pokémon in her own powerful jaws by the scruff of his neck and rolling him over with the force of the impact. As he lay on his side, Alix landed some blows with her own claws, but it wasn't long before Waffen had come face to face with her and the two Dark Pokémon were locked in a deadly embrace, snapping at each other, and wrestling for the upper hand. There was no finesse in their conflict, none of the strategy and planning that a trainer would take pride in. Only one of them would be able to make it out in one piece, and Alix had a terrible feeling that even if she could beat her current foe, there would be no reserve to call on for overcoming Stuka.

The Skarmory had watched the initial exchanging of blows with some interest and was now delightfully watching the rough brawl unfolding before her eyes. So focused was the Skarmory on the conflict before her that she failed to notice Mend as he weakly came to. With wide eyes, his gaze darted from the intimidating form holding him down to the fight between Alix and Waffen. Then, with a grimace of pain and focus, he brushed one of his flowered hands on Stuka's leg, before closing his eyes and attempting to drown out the sound of the scuffle.

The Armor Bird Pokémon felt something brush past her, but when she looked down, Mend appeared to still be out like a light, and she shook the thought from her mind. There were far more interesting things to pay attention to then a feeling that was more likely than not just some grass, or the wind. Stuka scratched her leg absentmindedly with her wing and went back to watching Alix and Waffen struggle.


	5. Chapter 5

The two Dark Pokémon pulled away from their scuffle and stared each other down, panting from the exertion of their fight. A reprieve was sought by each, but to admit that would have been to show weakness. So they circled one another, gauging weak points and assessing their own condition.

Alix broke the silence first, "You seem pretty well for someone who took a blast of Stun Spore to the face."

"Lum Berries," Waffen grinned, "Never leave home without them."

The Absol and Mightyena circled each other a few more laps, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. But their concentration was interrupted by their spectator.

"Waffen! Quit ballroom dancing and take her down already!" Stuka yelled.

The hyena-like Pokémon turned to his ally, "It's called strategizing you overgrown pigeon, now leave me alone and let me-"

Their argument wasn't allowed to progress any further, as Alix took the chance afforded to her and leapt at the Bite Pokémon, grappling with Waffen and sinking her teeth into his neck. The Mightyena roared in pain and twisted so that he could get a better chance of inflicting his own wounds. The whole arena was silent, save for the sound of the scuffle between the two Pokémon and the metallic noise of their Skarmory observer trying to get comfortable.

Waffen struggled to gain the upper hand, snarling and spitting, trying to get the Absol within range of his powerful jaws. Alix defended herself by pushing her paw onto the side of the Mightyena's face, pushing the snapping teeth away from her. But while his opponent was preoccupied with avoiding getting bitten, Waffen lifted up one of his legs and sent a devastating kick into Alix's side. She cried out in pain and weakened the force she was exerting on Waffen's jaws. Taking the chance, he sunk his teeth into the Disaster Pokémon's paw. With another cry, Alix pushed the other Dark Pokémon off of her and limped off.

Waffen didn't give chase; instead, he licked the blood off of his teeth and grinned at the Absol's retreating form. Her white fur was streaked with dirt and blood, and she looked at her opponent in pain and anger. "You look tired, Alix," the Mightyena chuckled.

"You don't look too well yourself," she replied.

"Shut up," he laughed, "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to just give up."

Now it was Alix's turn to laugh, although it was far weaker than the Mightyena, "You'd let me do that?"

"You're right," he said, "I haven't had my fun yet."

"Me neither," Alix said, and feinted to her left. Her inexperienced opponent fell for it and lunged for where he thought the Absol would be. In doing so, Waffen left himself completely open as the Disaster Pokémon leapt at him again, claws outstretched. The Mightyena tried to react, but he was a little too slow and his legs crumpled as the full force of Alix's frame slammed into his side. Another round of wrestling began as the two Pokémon set on each other with renewed fervor.

The cost of Alix's exertion and her wounds was beginning to show and it wasn't long before Waffen began to gain the upper hand. The Absol held off some of his assault, blocking a few glancing blows, but some of the Mightyena's claws and fangs found their way into scarred and tired flesh. Alix gasped in pain as old injuries were reopened and new wounds made their mark. She tried to pull away from Waffen, but he tackled her and sent her face into the dirt. As the Absol rolled over and spat earth out of her mouth, the Bite Pokémon jumped back on her and pinned the other Dark Pokémon to the ground.

Alix struggled against her opponent, but her front paws were locked to the ground. She gnashed her teeth at Waffen, but he just smiled down at her, showing his prominent canines. "I'm impressed," the Mightyena said, "You've put up a good fight. You might be smarter than me, and more experienced, for sure. But I'm at the peak of my strength and you're weak, beaten, and broken."

"Why didn't you let me go?" Alix growled, "I didn't do anything to you."

Waffen lifted his head to the sky and laughed, "You didn't do anything to me? You stupid animal!" He released one of her paws and held his own to her throat, growling the whole time, "You have had everything handed to you, and you took my place on the team. And you know what?" The Mightyena pressed down harder and Alix gasped in terror and pain, "You gave it all up! You threw it away, you ungrateful cur!"

The Absol tried to push away the black paw and gasped out, "You're right, you're completely right."

Waffen eased up on the white-furred Pokémon's neck and grinned toothily, "I am?"

"Yeah," Alix said, stretching her neck.

"And how exactly was I right?" Waffen said, leaning in close. His breath was rancid and the Disaster Pokémon had to suppress a gag.

Suddenly, the Mightyena felt pressure on his stomach and looked down to see Alix's foot pressed against his midsection. "I'm a lot smarter than you," the Absol said, and put her own paw on Waffen's chest. Then she pushed off with her rear foot, directing his flight with her front paw. The hyena-like Pokémon whimpered in confusion as he flew through the air, towards the perimeter of obstacles Stuka the Skarmory had formed.

Waffen landed hard on the ground, but before he could rise up to his feet, five of the nearest floating piles of earth slammed into the Dark Pokémon, all but burying him under a pile of rubble. Then the other hazard was triggered as three feathers wedged into the ground made contact with Waffen and the earth and detonated, blasting the Mightyena thrice in rapid succession. He groaned in pain, but beyond that, he was still.

Alix looked at her handiwork; she had not only defeated her opponent, but had also cleared enough of Stuka's obstacles that she could make an escape. Alix started for the opening, marked by Waffen's unconscious body, but hesitated. She turned to look at Mend, still under the talons of Stuka.

"I hope you aren't planning on abandoning your little companion," the Armor Pokémon said, and the Absol reluctantly turned to face her final obstacle.

"I'll fight you," she said, "Just let him go."

The Skarmory ignored her request, "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed with how you handled that upstart. Using your environment and your opponent's own advantageous position against him, you haven't forgotten your training. Even far away from our master, you are still faithful to what he taught you."

"I'm not returning to him," Alix said, steel in her voice.

Stuka spread her wings, "Maybe a more sound beating will change your mind."

"Sorry to interrupt," a voice said, and both Alix and Stuka were amazed to find the source was none other than the Roselia under the latter's foot.

"How are you even conscious?" the Skarmory asked, "After what Waffen did to you, you should-"

Mend cut her off, "I've got my skills and you've got yours."

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't take care of you right now," Stuka growled at the Thorn Pokémon.

He smiled, "Because you'll have to find me first." The small green Pokémon then pulled his hand covered by a blue rose out from underneath yellow talons and pointed it at the bird Pokémon's face, firing a cloud of purple spores into Stuka's eyes.

The Skarmory swore and stumbled around blindly, allowing Mend the opportunity to remove himself from her clutches and rush to Alix's side.

The Absol smiled at him, "I'm glad to see you're okay."

He looked at her bruised, bloodied body, "Well, one of us had to be. So what's the plan here?"

"I've just kind of been making it up as I go," Alix admitted, "But as long as you made Stuka use up her Lum Berry, I think I've got something."

"Okay, shoot."

"You're unscathed enough that you should be able to get in one more attack, even if it means getting badly hurt. If you make that one attack a sleep or paralysis inducing attack, we can deal with her easily."

"Yeah, good thing I poisoned her to get rid of the Lum Berry," the Roselia said proudly.

"You did what?" Alix asked.

"I used Poison Powder, so Stuka's down one berry, right?"

The Absol groaned in pain and disappointment, "Steel Pokémon can't get poisoned, Mend."

"Really?" he asked.

"Really," Stuka said, having recovered from being temporarily blinded. "So what's your plan now, Alix?" she mocked, "Nothing short of a miracle is going to stop me." With that, the silver bird Pokémon jumped into the air and began racing toward Alix and Mend. Both of them leaped out of the way, and the Skarmory flew higher, preparing to make another pass.

Mend wiped the dirt from his impact off of his forehead, "Whew, that was a close one." His ally was looking up at their opponent, squinting because of the sun reflecting off of Stuka's metallic body. "What are we going to do?" the Roselia asked.

"Is there something on Stuka's leg?" Alix asked, "I can't be certain."

"Oh yeah, that was me," Mend replied.

"That was you, how?"

"Oh, I planted a Leech Seed on her after Waffen brought me here," the Thorn Pokémon said, "That's how I recovered so quickly."

Stuka swooped down on the Absol and Roselia, sending them both diving to the ground again. "She doesn't know about it," Alix said, "Otherwise she wouldn't be toying with us." The white-furred Pokémon turned to Mend, "Can you control the seed? Make it grow faster for instance?"

"Sorry, no can do," he responded, "That's asking a lot; even for a lot more experienced Pokémon."

"Then, we're going to have to try something else to speed up the process," the Disaster Pokémon said and watched as Stuka rounded the two earthbound Pokémon. This time, when the raptor-like Pokémon dived, Alix stood her ground.

Mend looked up from the patch of ground he had dived for. "What are you doing?" he yelled.

"In order to grow, a plant needs sunlight and water," Alix said, more to herself than anyone else, "We have the sunlight, so all we need is the..." Her musings were cut short as Stuka neared. As the Skarmory closed the gap, the Absol concentrated and summoned up a reservoir of energy from deep inside and gave out a great breath, so cold that the moisture in the air froze and pelted Stuka, covering her pristine armor in ice and snow. She veered off from attacking Alix and returned to the air, closer to the sun so that her wings could thaw.

"What was that?" Mend demanded.

"Um, an Icy Wind attack, I believe," Alix responded.

"My trainer never taught me Icy Wind," he complained.

Alix was about to raise the obvious concern when she saw what was happening to Stuka, "Be quiet and look!"

What had been only a speck of green on her leg was growing rapidly, and soon the Skarmory's whole leg was covered by vegetation. But it didn't appear to be spreading to any other parts of her metallic body. "I guess the seeds can't grow on the armor," Mend said.

"Yeah, looks that way," Alix said.

Stuka made a turn in the air and then began flying at the pair at high speed, honing in on Mend. With a screech, she put her legs forward, preparing to skewer the Roselia with her uncovered talons. But then she started to shake and the dive became uncontrolled. With a confused squawk, the Skarmory hit the dirt hard and began writhing on the ground. "Get it out, get it out!" she cried.

Alix and Mend warily drew closer and saw the source of Stuka's discomfort. The vines and leaves that had grown on her foot were now creeping onto her feathers from under the armored plates. She was unable to fly, and unable to even get on her feet with most of her appendages hosting a parasitic plant.

While looking at her former teammate in revulsion and slight pity, Alix said, "Mend, maybe you should tell it to stop."

"I don't think I can," he said, "Not until she's unconscious."

"Then put her to sleep, use Sleep Powder or something."

"What about the Lum Berry?"

"I don't think she's going to be able to get to it."

Mend sighed, "Okay, cover your ears." After checking to see that the Absol had done so, be went to Stuka, still groaning in pain. Then, the Roselia whistled a haunting melody. The Armor Pokémon looked up at him in what could have been gratitude and then collapsed against the ground. The plant life on her waned and shrank back until it was completely gone. In addition, Stuka's status meant that the Stealth Rocks and Spikes that were surrounding the combatants were deactivated as well.

"I'm glad that we're friends, Mend," Alix said.

"You're just saying that because you don't want to get Leech Seeded."

"A little bit, yeah."


	6. Chapter 6

After the relief had worn off, Alix and Mend looked at the beaten bodies of their fallen foes. Before either could make a motion to move on, the nearby woods rustled and two humans emerged into the clearing. One was a boy with a messy crop of red hair and a bright green t-shirt with a Treecko's visage on the front. The other was an older male with longer brown hair and a far more serious demeanor.

"It's my trainer!" Mend said.

"And mine," Alix said, with noticeably less enthusiasm. The Absol turned to go, but it was too late, they had been spotted. Both boys advanced towards the Pokémon and suddenly noticed Sturm and Waffen's unconscious forms.

"What happened here?" the younger trainer asked while kneeling to examine the Skarmory, but the other just stared coldly at his fallen Pokémon and then at the one who had fled him. Their gazes locked, but the Disaster Pokémon averted her eyes first.

"Do you want me to put him to sleep?" Mend whispered.

Alix hesitated, but shook her head, "No, I can't keep running, I'll just have to try and reason with him."

"Is this her?" the younger trainer asked the other.

"Yes, that's my Alix," he replied without looking away from his former Pokémon.

"Mend," the Roselia's trainer said, "come over here. That Absol is dangerous, she just was recently caught and hasn't been fully tamed."

The Grass-type Pokémon turned to Alix in concern, "Why did he lie to my trainer about you?"

"Because humans ask less questions when it comes to untrained Pokémon," the Absol said coolly, "it's as simple as that."

"Let me try to reason with him," Mend said and walked over to his trainer. As he began attempting to communicate with a series of complicated hand gestures, Alix's own trainer approached her and knelt down to look at her.

"I would be lying to say that I'm not impressed," he said, "Waffen was one thing, but you managed to take out Stuka as well. Even if you had a little help, that's no small feat." The Disaster Pokémon still avoided his gaze and tried to catch a peek at the game of Charades that her companion was attempting to pull off, but her wandering eyes were cut short, as her trainer barked, "Look at me." Reluctantly, Alix met his gaze. "Maybe a little time away was all you needed; you've really come into your own. I'm proud of you, and I'm more than willing to put you back on the team. What do you say?"

The trainer extended his hand to Alix and smiled pleasantly. An odd mixture of pride and nausea rose up in the Absol at his words. He seemed so friendly, so different that Alix wanted to believe him. She tried to remind herself that this was just his strategy, alternating between killing his Pokémon with kindness and abusing them. He saw the hesitancy in her eyes, and his voice lowered, gaining a hint of menace beneath the cheerful veneer, "It's not like you have anywhere else to go, I'm the closest thing to a family you've got."

Alix looked at her trainer's outreached hand and the harsher memories of him clashed with the happier times. She took a deep breath and then began to walk away from him. "I gave you the chance to do this the easy way," her trainer hissed before rising to his feet and speaking loud enough for the other human to hear, "Alix, come back please!" He quickly turned to Mend's trainer, but his words caught in his throat as he saw the younger boy striding towards him angrily.

"How come you lied to me?" the red-haired boy asked, his freckled face turning a shade of crimson.

"What are you talking about?"

"You said that your Absol was recently caught, and you said that she had no reason for running away," Mend's trainer said as he stopped and folded his arms across his green t-shirt, "How come you lied to me?"

"How did you-" the older boy asked before looking at the Roselia standing next to his trainer and mimicking his pose, and realization dawned. "You could understand him?" the blonde trainer asked incredulously.

Alix had stopped to pay attention to the confrontation and was just as startled as her trainer, "He understood you?"

"What can I say?" Mend said with an air of self-importance, "We might not have every badge, but we have a pretty tight bond."

"It doesn't matter, you're still going to help me get my Pokémon back," Alix's trainer said.

"How about we battle?" the shorter boy said, "If you win, I'll help you get your Absol back, but if you lose, you have to let her go."

"Why do humans insist on settling everything with a battle?" Alix muttered to herself before turning to Mend, "Does he think he can win?"

"Of course not," was the Roselia's reply, "but he's trying to give you a chance to escape while they're having it out."

But instead of reaching for his Poké Balls, the brown-haired trainer grabbed Mend, taking advantage of the close proximity that resulted from the stand-off between the boys. He held the Roselia's tiny body in one hand high above the ground, pinning Mend's arms against his body so he couldn't attack. "New plan," Alix's trainer said, "You help me get my Pokémon back or I squeeze the life out of yours."

The other boy was shocked, "You can't do that! You can't refuse another trainer's challenge! It's against the Pokémon League's rules!"

"And you'll be free to report me," the older trainer said, before tightening his grasp and hardening his voice, "after I get my Absol back."

Seeing no other choice, Mend's trainer began towards Alix. "I'm sorry," he said as he reached for the Disaster Pokémon, but she had other plans. She was tired of not being in control, of just having to deal with things happening to her instead of having a say in how they went. That was why she ran away from her trainer, and that was why she now leaped at him, claws outstretched. She hit him at full force with her skull, knocking her trainer off-balance and loosening his grip on Mend. Alix retreated from her trainer's fallen form and watched as he struggled to stand back up.

As soon as he had risen to a kneeling position, using his free hand to steady himself, the Absol struck, summoning up the same well of power that had helped to defeat Stuka. With a powerful breath, she froze the water in the air and sent the bits of snow and ice towards her trainer's arm and the ground he had used as leverage. The frozen material stuck and soon the trainer's arm was encased in a thick sheet of ice as was his hand and the ground surrounding it. He was trapped in a crouch, and he glared at his Pokémon.

He threw Mend away and as Alix's gaze followed the Thorn Pokémon, his hand shot to his belt to release one of his more loyal Pokémon. But the Absol's focus quickly shifted back to him and another blast of Icy Wind plastered his hand to his now useless Poké Ball. "You just made a huge mistake," he growled to his Pokémon, but it was an empty threat.

Mend walked over to Alix as his trainer began to lecture his immobilized peer on the evils of Pokémon abuse and refusing another trainer's challenge. "That was pretty awesome," he said.

"Thanks," the Absol said, reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the humans, "I never did anything like this because had also seemed so terrifying."

"So, what changed?"

"Well, I just realized how much I can do on my own today, and once I stopped needing him, he was just a boy playing at being something more," she explained.

"And?" Mend asked expectantly.

The Disaster Pokémon laughed, "And because you were in trouble, of course."

"That's all I'm asking for, a little recognition, a little respect."

"Isn't that what all male Roselia want?" Alix asked and the two Pokémon shared a laugh. Their mirth was interrupted only by the return of Mend's trainer. Alix felt her fur bristle involuntarily; Pokémon were one thing, but it would still be awhile before she could fully trust another human.

The messy ginger-haired boy sat down on the grass next to the Pokémon, affecting an air of easy-going good humor that Alix's trainer could only have dreamed of faking. After falling back against the grass and watching the clouds go by for a moment, he spoke. "I'm not going to ask you to join us, Alix," he said.

Both Pokémon turned to him in curiosity. "I don't think you don't need another trainer right now," he continued, "You need time to figure some stuff out for yourself. While I'd be more than happy to have you join our team, I'll settle for just being your friend." Having said his piece, the trainer rose to his feet and looked down at his Pokémon, "Well, Mend, I think we better keep going. That sixth gym leader isn't going to beat herself."

The Thorn Pokémon looked at his trainer, and then at Alix, "You're a good Pokémon, but try to keep the brooding to a minimum."

"Keep an eye on your skirt length," the Absol retorted. After a pause, Mend extended one of his roses and Alix met it with her paw and the two shook them in a parody of a human handshake. "Maybe when this year's Pokémon League is over you can come back and visit," the Disaster Pokémon said.

"You think you'll be ready to join our team then?"

Alix winked, "Maybe if you can beat me." Then, with a nod between the Absol and Mend's trainer and a final look at her own, she began to run through the woods surrounding the clearing. Leaping over fallen branches, and ducking between bushes, Alix forgot the exertion of her day and took in a deep breath of fresh air. She had thought herself free only once before, when she was still nothing more than the runt of the litter, fending for herself. The years had changed her, and the idea of being on her own was invigorating.

But the Absol wasn't ready to return to her birthplace just yet. Her trainer might try to find her there, but by the time he had thawed out, she would be long gone. Reaching the crest of a hill, Alix looked at the different paths before her. All of Hoenn stretched before her like a canvas waiting to be painted with experiences and memories. Picking a path at random, the Absol dashed down the hill, no longer running away from her past, but running towards tomorrow.


End file.
